I owned this car up until very recently, it was sort of my mid-life crisis car and now I've settled down a bit and bought a nice 3-Series. But I feel compelled to leave a review of this car because it was absolutely fantastic, I've owned a number of cars in my time but this comes out on top.
First, this is a review for the 3.2 V6 DSG, not the 1.8 because there is a massive difference, I promise. I drove both before I committed and the 3.2 is the one to have, no questions asked. I suppose its best to kick off with performance. Amazing is one word I'd use. The handling is incredible, it has unbelievable amounts of grip. On test, the salesman made me go round a small roundabout asking me to turn the car in as tight as I could, I was apprehensive to do this because I was convinced it would let the back out but the all-wheel drive system keeps it under control and it just grips continuously. It could go pretty quick as well if you wanted it to. The fancy DSG gearbox meant you could put it in Sport mode and beat most people away from the lights. The DSG box is worth mentioning because its one of the car's highlights. You can have it in auto, semi-auto or fully manual, and the flappy paddles made it a little more 'racey'.
I will admit, getting in the thing, especially with my six foot frame is not the most elegant manoeuvre in the world but once you're in, it is incredibly comfortable and suited to cruising, the seats feel good, the ride is fantastic and you can always hear the engine purring away, even louder if you're in Sport mode. The back seats are strictly for contortionists but you don't really buy a car like this for practicality. The best way to get practicality out of this car is to drop the seats down and make use of the boot space.
I had it for just over three years and never had a problem with it which is why I've put reliability up at five stars.
Running costs is the ultimate fall down of any car like this, it was expensive to service, insure, tax and petrol wasn't exactly cheap but this depends how much you have it in Sport mode. For me, this was quite a lot and so I'd struggle to get 30mpg out of it at the best of times.
I think this was a brilliant little car. Yes, it is quite heavy on your wallet but the return is a truly brilliant drive and a fantastic car to own.
I had an Audi TT Roadster (open top) for about four years, which was ok but I never really got why it was such a massive success story as a car. I mean it was pretty light and powerful which made for an interesting combination, but the engineering just isn't there. The steering just felt kind of flat, and there's a pretty chronic lag on the turbo. These are things that didn't really come up during the test drive, or for a while after I first got it, but started to annoy me more and more until I eventually just sold up. Call me a car snob but these things matter to me.
It wasn't all that reliable either, which I had really come to expect and demand from Audi. The clutch failed and there were a few issues with the gearbox that never seemed fully resolved.
In fairness there was a certain distinctive Audi TT style which was always rewarding, but it wasn't that great. It does corner very well, but the acceleration isn't amazing, certainly not what was promised. I was beaten away from the lights by much lesser cars sometimes, which is just annoying when you've paid that much more.
Very tricky to park when the roof is pulled up, as the rear 'window' is stupidly small, and there's so much of the roof that isn't see through. You basically end up having to adjust the mirrors before doing a parallel park, which is annoying, especially when you're in traffic. Nobody likes an Audi TT driver anyway, so they're hardly forgiving about it.
Obviously you're giving up on space with a two seater convertible, but I always felt it could have made cleverer use of the space it had. The space in front of the gearstick could have been put to better use I remember, and the door pockets were just inadequate.
I think this is just becoming a list of complaints now. Sad because I did have some good times in my Audi TT, just sort of overshadowed by all the little niggles and gripes.
I don't think I'm quite getting 36MPG lol, as the paperwork says. I guess that's something to do with *ahem* my driving style, and using the turbo. Thing is, why buy an Audi TT if you're not going to make it work? The turbo works really well too, no lag.
What I'd say first is that it's actually surprisingly easy to drive. The only tricky thing is seeing out the back on account of the low seat position and the high windows. Mine is the 'standard' Audi TT so I didn't get the parking helpers at the back with it, and couldn't be bothered stumping up another £300 for it (dealer wouldn't budge on that).
Another surprise is that it's got four seats that can actually get four people in. I saw a previous generation Audi TT a few years back and the back seats looked stupid. My ones are hardly limo sized, but they're ok for medium trips, like out to the cinema with mates or whatever (we're in the sticks so that can be about 10 miles).
As you'd expect it darts away from standstill like a blue ass fly, really puts a lot of more expensive cars to shame. It's the power to weight ratio I think, always makes me smile to drive. They do get it to grip the road as well though somehow, handy!
A couple of bits of interior trim have come loose but otherwise no repairs needed so far. It's only a couple of years old though.
Stereo system fantastic. I think it's eight speakers all round, might be nine or ten, but seriously it's like being at the gig. Again there was some stereo upgrade that I didn't bother with, for something like £500 extra. All these costs make me a bit worried what repairs are eventually going to cost for an Audi TT. For now I'm just stuck with the petrol bills.
My dear wife refers to this as the mid life crisis express, and perhaps she's right, bless her. The Audi TT hardly befits a man of my years, but that's partly the point really. I don't quite feel a mid life crisis, in the sense of wanting to be younger, but I wanted something a little more exciting than our Lexus, and the Audi TT delivered that with no mistake.
I chose the 3.2 Quattro because the cost thankfully isn't too much of an issue for us nowadays, and I thought, in for a penny in for a pound. It's been an excellent choice and I don't regret it. Besides I think it was cheaper than a Porsche, and perhaps a little less of a cliche, so it's fine in my books.
Even at the lowest crawling speeds, the gurgle of the engine is fabulous. Open out the throttle and get your foot down and it's just a dream. I imagine I drive it laughably slowly for people who really know what they're talking about. I certainly don't get to sixty in 6.5 seconds like the paperwork boasts I should. I do find myself creeping up quite a way over the speed limit though, and the six speed gearbox allows that without me really noticing.
It's reasonably practical too. I had a look at some other similar cars, and the boot in the Audi TT is a decent enough size. My wife does occasionally agree to being driven around in it, and we've been on the odd weekend break in it with our luggage stowed comfortably in the boot. I've been fishing with a friend in it before and we had all our camping gear, so we folded the back seats down and that was fine. Those back seats probably aren't really useful for much else than folding down, they don't look like they could take much more than a small child in any kind of comfort.
Comfort all round is generally ok, but not great. My wife did complain on our weekend break that the seats were a tad stiff and quite low down for her liking.
I bought my Audi TT this second hand about 18 months ago and I've not had any repairs to speak of, although I know the previous owner had some work done before the sale, including something to do with the gearbox. There are some very minor rattles under the dash which I don't think I'll worry about, but could probably do with seeing to at some point.
Needless to say, tax and insurance premiums are quite high. Comes with the territory with an Audi TT though I suppose.
There haven't been too many repairs needed on my Audi TT but when they come, they hit hard. I was a bit of a bike nerd before I got the TT and I was always used to finding and fitting parts myself, but with the Audi TT I'm out of my depth quite a bit so I mostly get them done at a garage. For example I got a timing chain tensioner for over £100! I was used to paying about a tenner for one of those on my old bike. That's not even including the labour.
What I mean is, factor that in if you're thinking of buying one. An Audi TT is AMAZING to drive but can also be financially crippling to repair. Don't get me wrong it's reliable, just when it does need repairs they're heavy on the wallet.
BUT... it's worth it. Totally awesome to drive in. It doesn't get the 0-60 that I got on bikes but close enough, 6-7 seconds at a push. Compared to bikes it gives a lot of the thrill but none of the shakiness, especially in corners at high speeds.
I'm getting a bit pampered with the luxuries as well, which makes it even harder to think about going back to two wheels. Heated seats! That was a massive bonus in the winter.
There are some snooty reviews about steering 'feedback' and whatever, but that must only apply to people with experience of F1 cars or something because it seems fine to me. It's fast, grips the road like nobody's business, corners superbly, and is just endless fun.
Other problems... some of the dashboard lights come on for no reason sometimes, but those are obviously just errors, not actual faults. It's great otherwise, and it's getting a bit old now actually, doing well for its age.
The Audi I drive now was the first decent car I ever bought. Before this one there was an array of pathetic Fiats, Fords and Skodas which I now look back upon with derision. I have wasted my life driving these pathetic cars and buying this absolute beauty was the best decision I ever made.
My TT 1.8 was not first hand but it had a pretty reliable service history. It's had some work in the past but it drives as new and I haven't had any problems with it since buying it. The most noticeable thing for me is the four-wheel drive which brings the TT into another league in terms of driving experience. The performance is obviously mind-blowing but I don't have much to compare it to.
Most importantly the Audi TT is a usable car in an everyday context. There is bags of boot space and leg room so you can really drive it whatever the occasion. Of course, efficiency is an issue, and the TT struggles to exceed 20mpg. But what do you expect. This is a proper car.
As with all Audi's the 2006 + (mark 2) TT is an exceptionally well built and very reliable car. But unlike others in its class, it offers the practicalities of a small hatch-back whilst still turning the eye!
The two rear seats whilst small, can easily accomodate children - or friendly adults. Boot space is also accomodating with adequate storage for suitcases, golf clubs etc.
The ride and handling are very good, the only downside being this is a front wheel driven car, which given the power put to the front wheels, generally results in some wheel slip under even moderate acceleration on a slight incline.
One aspect I was very surprised at was the running costs for the Audi TT 2.0 FSi. With road tax HALF of my wife's people carrier, petrol mpg just shy of 40mpg, and service costs not unreasonable (and infrequent at roughly 20,000 miles). Overall a great car to own and drive and more practical than you might first think!
I've got a black BM, she got a white TT. Sorry, I just love that line. So, the Audi TT. It's a tough one this, because most people just think of the old model and automatically think "hairdresser's car", but this new variant isn't like that at all. This one is a proper driver's car. Trust me.
I got a white TT because I'm a big girl and I wanted something to pull in. As selfish and as arrogant as that sounds, I'm young, single and wanting to attract the ladies, so why not? The TT certainly helps in that department. Its look are by far and away the best thing about it; everyone loves an Audi TT.
It's a strict two-seater, so don't be expecting much in the way of comfort of practicality, but it more than makes us for this shortfall when you put your foot down. Audi's engine in this is brilliant; snappy and light but powerful and heavy. God it is good.
Seriously, test drive one if you're interested. I gaurentee you won't leave the dealership without your signature on the paper.
Tricky one... I am still really fond of my Audi TT but it has let me down a few times, sort of taken the shine off the whole experience. Most of it has been fixed under warranty: numerous problems with the fixtures on both driver seat and passenger seat, and then just recently the gearbox completely packed in. I got this second hand almost a year ago at 60k miles, and the dealer put their own 1 year warranty on it. Now, I'm a little concerned that more things will be going wrong, so I'm half tempted to jump ship and sell up now before the warranty expires.
I dunno though the TT is still a great car, and fairly economical to drive for what it is. 30 miles to the gallon isn't too bad for a sports car. It's fantastic to drive too, not just powerful but pretty effortless for the driver too. I mean it's fine on either motorways or round town. I have had faster cars before that felt really too crazy round town, like I could slip and accidentally mow down a load of unsuspecting pedestrians. The Audi TT isn't as bad as that, it gives you a bit more time to react.
If you want to go though, you can GO! It's supposed to get up to 60 in I think 7 and a half seconds. I've managed about 8 (with a mate timing on a stopwatch, yes we are geeks like that). It grips and corners well but watch out for under steer though.
One big practical problem with the TT is that it's a pig to park, and way to easy to kerb the big old wheels. No parking sensors on mine and it's not exactly the easiest car to see out the back of, so I take absolutely ages to park the damn thing, just trying to be as careful as possible. Result is that I look like a bit of a noob in the tesco car park. Still, speaking of tesco, the boot is a decent enough size for a week's shopping for me and my other half, or for when me and a mate go fishing.
Some of my drinking buddies keep telling me it's a girly car which is getting a bit annoying. That's what I mean about it not being quite the classic I thought it would be, it seems to have got a reputation that i hadn't expected, and nor had Audi I reckon. That's a bit of a downer.
The Audi TT has a stigma attached to it and it's all thanks to the type of people who buy them. Typically they are of the youthful age range, with a tan out of the bottle and a hair cut to match, but now the new TT has really changed the game.
I have the older version Audi TT 1.8 Quattro, so it comes standard with a stereotype and handling that isn't perfect. But i still maintain it's a quality motor. I think, when you look at it, it looks brilliant. Completely modern, executive and sophisticated. The 1.8-litre engine performs well with relatively decent mpg and half respectable running costs.
overall, I'd recommend buying the slightly higher engined version, perhaps the 2.0-litre, as it offers all the fun and performance but without the bills of the 3.2-litre engine.
Jen